taks: Tasmanian Snow Gum - Eucalyptus coccifera

Tasmanian Snow Gum - Eucalyptus coccifera

Tasmanian Snow Gums, Eucalyptus coccifera, Icehouse Track, Mt Wellington - 13th September 2008

The upper part of the Icehouse Track on Mt Wellington is dominated by the Tasmanian Snow Gums, (Eucalyptus coccifera). There are the burnt remains of solid, thick-trunked trees, some of which have sprouted thinner new branches. In the main they are small and slender trees, and I'm assuming the older trees were destroyed or badly damaged in the 1967 fires, and what we see there now is the extent of the regrowth over the last 41 years. E. coccifera grows to 35m in ideal sheltered sites, but may only be a shrub or stunted tree of 6-9m on the "highest and bleakest sites" (Forest Trees of Tasmania; Forest Resources [Boral Timber] 1995). The trees at the top of the Icehouse Track are obviously the latter.

The leaves are 5-10cm x 1-2cm.

The tips are crimson, and hooked.

The buds are in groups of up to 7 in most sites, but in groups of up to only 3 on Mt Wellington, and up to 1cm x 0.4cm.

The capsules are cup-shaped with a wide flat disc, up to around 1 x 1.2 cm.

These are younger capsules, showing a deep red disc and green cup.

Now, the Snow Gums on Mt Wellington appear to be distinct from those found elsewhere in Tasmania in terms of the maximum number of buds found in a group. On Mt Wellington, there are up to three, and this can be seen in looking at the specimens there. Elsewhere there can be up to seven. At Hartz Mountains, this is the case. These buds and capsules are from trees on the plateau.